ALL “BITLOMANS” IN THE WORLD KNOW ABOUT THE BEATLES LEGENDARY QUARTET LITERALLY EVERYTHING - WHICH ALBUM WAS RECORDED THAT OR OTHER YEAR, WHICH FROM THE “BITLES” WHEN IT HAS ALREADY BEEN EARLIER. BUT IT IS ONLY ON FIRST LOOK. REALLY, EVEN YEARS IN WHICH NOBODY AND NOBODY ANNOUNCED THE "BEETLES" OF WORLD LOVE AND POPULARITY, TODAY MAY LOOK AT ANOTHER ELSE. It is unclear no matter how we envision between 1963 and 1964 J IF Most recently ENGLISH PHOTOGRAPHER PAUL BERRIFF, While this is a REPEATED TODAY Rewarding director DOKUMENTALI- STOM "BAFTA", is not found in its archives a couple of old black and white FILMS ... THE HIDDEN GALLERY MOBILE EXHIBITION, COMPOSED OF 38 UNIQUE STAFFS, WAS BROUGHT TO DUBAI AND EXHIBITED IN THE FASHIONABLE HARVEY NICHOLS STORE FOR A HALF AND A half YEAR. ABOUT RARE PHOTOGRAPHS, THE BEATLE LOVE PHENOMENON AND THE COMING BEATLES ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION, WE TALKED WITH JERRY GOLDMAN, THE BOMERI GENERAL DEMOTER BOMERI THEORY
Jerry Goldman, CEO of The Beatles Story
Jerry, good afternoon. When you became a fan of the Beatles, and how did you manage to maintain your love and devotion for 50 years?
I was born and raised in Liverpool. This may not surprise you. In those days when I was in a school for boys and even took Russian language lessons (which, incidentally, was taught by an incredibly beautiful Russian woman), all the students were divided into two groups: you had to be either a Beatles fan or idolize Rolling Stones. " There was no third, and that is precisely what ultimately determined the essence of each. Today everything has changed, and people in England are more likely to ask which football team you support in order to determine your personality.
But back to the story. For me, the choice was obvious, I was an absolute fan of the Rolling Stones. You will ask why? Yes, because then the Beatles were assigned to those groups that were considered “decent and intelligent,” the whole family could listen to them. The Rollings were more audacious and vibrant, and their rock music naturally was heavier and rougher. They represented alternative music, and I preferred to attribute myself to people ambiguous. Over time, I began to appreciate any real music, and began to listen to the work of the Beatles, not forgetting the Rolling Stones.
Apparently, the love of the Beatles still won over you, since you became the managing director of The Beatles Story?
I became the director of The Beatles Store by chance, 10 years ago, when a complete change of leadership took place. Then the brand was already 11 years old, and it seemed that it had already lost its former popularity, so we breathed new life into it. From the exhibition hall with an area of 800 square meters. meters, we created a conceptual store-exposition, increasing its size by 4 times. Gradually, the brand "The Beatles Story" began to be recognized all over the world.
Today, we celebrate the Beatles Group every year, the entire history of their careers, by doing field shows around the world. In Memphis, for example, today is an amazing exhibition dedicated to the reaction of Elvis Presley to the appearance of the Beatles. According to the story, once John Lennon went to the cinema, and as soon as the girls in the auditorium saw Elvis on the screen, they began to squeal with delight. John decided that such a delight should be caused by his work, and the rest is known to everyone.
Why do you think modern youth is happy to listen to the Beatles, despite the gigantic streams of electronic music? What is a vintage fashion?
You just named the reason. The modern generation perfectly understands where real music is and where not. In synthetic music there is neither beauty nor soul. People can fall in love with such music for a day or two or for a week. Then they will like another, exactly the same song. Alas, this is a fashionable trend, and similar music sweeps like in a kaleidoscope. And the work of the Beatles remains with us for centuries, oddly enough. Here at the time of the opening of our exhibition dedicated to The Beatles, a young talented music group performed here in Dubai, performing popular hits of the Beatles.
And what was surprising was that people of all ages attended the presentation, and everyone was equally happy and singing along with the musicians: each guest knew the words! This, of course, cannot be something played out - such energy comes from within. Each person’s music must have important moments in life and valuable memories associated with the Beatles music, which is why the songs remain with us forever. That is the whole difference.
Did you bring the musicians who participated in the presentation with you?
Yes. These are the guys from Liverpool, and the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Beatles, which reached Dubai, began just in the homeland of the legendary four. Although we celebrate the birth of the Beatles around the world, the center of the festivities is still Liverpool - one of the fastest growing cities in England and the most popular city among tourists and investors. I must say that Liverpool is of great importance to the country. For 10 years, it has evolved from a small industrial town into a developed metropolis. It built modern shopping centers, hotels, restaurants ... By the way, it was Liverpool that took first place in terms of nightlife and the number of nightclubs and bars in the UK. Notice, not London or Manchester (laughs).
Is it true that Cavern is still operating in Liverpool, where the Beatles began their careers?
Yes, the Cavern club still exists, however, in a copy. The original club was closed, but it was recreated on the other side of the same street. Sir Paul McCartney performed at the new venue, so the spirit of the group has been preserved there until now. In general, if you come to Liverpool, you will find there so many places related to the history of the Beatles! I believe that the spirit of this group is in the city at every turn. And the city itself is located two hours by train from London, which is very convenient for tourists and locals.
Paul McCartney and Ringo Star are the only representatives of the Beatles who are alive and well today. Are they somehow connected with the brand “The Beatles Story” and are they taking any part in its development?
No Unfortunately. We meet with Sir Paul McCartney a couple of times a year at our events, and that’s all. Of course, we maintain good friendly relations with both musicians, but they are in no way connected with “The Beatles Story”. They can be understood, because it is strange for them that they are a legend, and that there is already a museum dedicated to the history of the Beatles, while they are still alive.
Why did Dubai become the second venue for the exhibition right after Liverpool?
Everything is simple here. We were contacted by representatives of the Harvey Nichols department store chain. This year has become very important for Great Britain thanks to the anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, the Olympic Games and other events. In addition, someone from the Harvey Nichols team recalled that this year is also a jubilee for the Beatles. And, as you can guess, the Beatles are much more important for the huge number of people than the Olympics or the Queen’s anniversary. So the idea of holding traveling exhibitions came up, and we gladly agreed to share our joy with the inhabitants of all corners of the world. But, unfortunately, only those who have a Harvey Nichols department store in the city are lucky. So Dubai was the second on the list of lucky ones (laughs).
And what is the next destination?
Liverpool again. In October of this year, the Beatles' first song, titled “Love Me Do,” recorded at the studio, also turns 50 years old. Therefore, we invite all fans of the group to come to Liverpool on October 5 and celebrate this momentous event with us. The concept of the event is that all guests who come or come to the city together will sing this song. It will be something incredible!
How many people do you think will attend the event?
Oh, hundreds of thousands of people. Seriously! We are more than sure that the streets of Liverpool will be filled with fans of the group who will join hands and sing the song “Love Me Do.” Then there will be a holiday for the whole weekend and for the whole family. So, starting from October 5, Liverpool will be full of love and sincere emotions.
Why were the photographs of 1963-1964 chosen for the exhibition?
I believe that these are the photographs that show the less polished image of the Beatles and each musician individually. In the photographs of Paul Berriff they are what they are: young, full of energy and cheerful, more relaxed and free to express their emotions even during performances. In those years, they had not yet gone on tour to America and performed in cities located near Liverpool.
Over time, it has become increasingly difficult to notice the inner world of the Beatles, especially in official photographs from their most famous tours and performances. Pay attention to the quality of each photo of this exhibition! Given that Paul Berriff was a 16-year-old at that time and was just starting to look for himself in the world of photography, this exposition is simply priceless!
Today, when you are no longer in school for boys, what is your choice: The Beatles or the Rolling Stones?
Of course, the Beatles! And I say this not only because my business is inextricably linked with this group. It’s just that over time I began to understand the true price of their songs. At the opening of the exhibition, I listened to every song and enjoyed every second. If today I was offered to listen to the Rolling Stones concert, I would probably lose my patience and not listen to it to the end.
What is your favorite Beatles song?
I probably shouldn't admit it, but this is the song “Twist and Shout”. You will ask why? Because they are not the authors of this song, they only performed it. But they performed so brilliantly that it was impossible not to fall in love with her.
Paul Berriff, photographer
Paul, how did you get to know the musicians of the Beatles group, because it is known that you were young and just started to engage in professional photography?
I was only 16 years old, and I got the position of assistant reporter in one of the Liverpool newspapers. That is, in fact, I was just starting my steps in the publishing world and deciding who exactly to become: a reporter or a photographer. During working hours, I sat in the office and printed articles, and in my free time I took my camera, walked around the city and took pictures.
In 1963, pop culture in music was still in its infancy, and new bands appeared almost every week. I made acquaintances with the owners of those clubs in which novice groups performed in order to be able to go backstage. Then I decided that this is a chance to use. And he began to make photo essays telling about the life of different groups off the stage. All this was done for myself: I considered it a great opportunity to practice, get used to the camera and understand the intricacies of the craft (lighting, focus, and so on). Thus, unexpectedly for myself and the rest, I shot the history of groups that later became legends, one of which was the Beatles. At that time, the Beatles were not on the top list of performers, but when I met them personally, they became the main characters in my backstage photos.
You remember what the Beatles were before the era of their global popularity. What were their characters, interests?
The Beatles were just starting their careers. When I went out into the hall of the Cavern club or some other one in the neighborhood where they sang in the evenings, the female fans squealed with joy so loudly that, apart from them, no one was heard. Of course, we already understood that there was something special in this group. Although the guys were new musicians, their music was fantastic. But, of course, in those days I could not even think that this group would become a real legend.
Jerry Goldman in our conversation with him said that in those years a person was largely evaluated for his addiction to the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. Which group fan were you?
I've always been a fan of the Beatles. In addition to unique songs, they were a very stylish group: they always wore costumes, and this made them very different from other pop artists. Our parents also liked the Beatles very much, because in the eyes of adults, John, Paul, Ringo and George looked like smart, excellent boys.
Tell us about the most memorable moment associated with the Beatles?
Once I needed to film a group at the next concert. I took my girlfriend with me, and we came a little earlier to wait for the musicians in the hall. The guys came in, tuned the instruments and started singing “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”. Then it was their new song, which had not even been recorded at the studio. Thus, the only Beatles spectators at the time of rehearsing this composition were only me and the girl. It was simply indescribable! This is what I would call real magic.
Was this song your favorite with The Beatles?
Oh, this is a difficult question. I have fond memories with so many songs, and, as I said, each song is so unique that they cannot be compared. I guess I love all their songs.
How different were your Beatles photo shoots from celebrity filming today?
I shot a documentary essay, so the musicians did not pose for me and often did not even know that they were being shot. Real faces and emotions - this is the most important thing, it makes the photo truly valuable. I also work today - I prefer a small camera without a flash to a large camera, which, of course, everyone will pay attention to. I became very friends with Paul McCartney, and he often came to me, was interested in success in photography. Sometimes I asked the musicians to pose for me, and I have some wonderful photos where they look in the frame. None of these photos have used flash. I could just play with the light in the room, nothing more.
Why did you decide to show these photos to the world, because so many years have passed?
Having made a series of these pictures, I safely forgot about them, since literally right away I was officially appointed a photojournalist in a city newspaper. I worked there for 5 years, and then I came to the BBC, where I began my career as a cameraman and shot documentaries over the past 45 years. And a year and a half ago, I suddenly realized that I wanted to return to photography again. And then I remembered that as a teenager I did a lot of some black and white pictures. They lay in an old dusty box that traveled with me around the world, wherever I moved. To my deep surprise, neither the weather nor the move affected the films - all 48 negatives from the Beatles were in perfect condition! I was so surprised! And not only the safety of the films, but also the content of the photos found: very good for a teenager (laughs).
Then I realized that in my hands is a historical rarity, and it must be shown to the world. When Jerry Goldman, director of The Beatles Story, saw these photographs, he said that they should definitely return home to Liverpool, as they are a national treasure. And I was very happy about that.
Have you ever seen the band after that?
Unfortunately not. Although today I would love to meet with Paul McCartney and see if he remembers me (laughs).
Which camera do you use now: analog or digital?
I work with different cameras, but I prefer, of course, film. I think she conveys the soul in the pictures. I just love black and white shooting, as the camera conveys the mood of people in the frame, not “clogged” with color.
Would you like to release a book with your documentary photo essays?
I don’t know yet. I thought a lot about future plans and my ambitions. I would like to take photographs of “living legends”: the first person who set foot on the moon, or Bill Clinton, other politicians and stars. The idea is to take them at home for a series of black and white photographs.
If I ever manage to do this, I will be happy to write a book and give it to the world. It would also be great to shoot The Beatles 50 years later, and it is unfortunate that two of the Liverpool Four are no longer with us. I am very grateful to Harvey Nichols for the opportunity to show my "lost" photographs and I think that for true connoisseurs of the work of the legendary group and the art of photography, they will become a valuable investment for centuries, as only 49 collection series of these photographs with the author's signature have been released.
